Artificial leg



(No Model.)

U. TANNER. ARTIFICIAL LEG.

Patented Apr.-19, 1892.

Fig.1.

eases,

mmmm.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICEQ ULYSSES TANNER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,097, dated April 19, 1892.

Application filed August 17, 1891. Serial No. 402.849. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ULYssEs TANNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention relates to artificial limbs, and has for its object to effect certain improvements in the structure of the different parts with a View to greater ease and comfort to the wearer and greater strength and durability to the artificial parts. To this end, in order to obtain strength with lightness, 1 construct such of the sections of the artificial limb as are most liable to excessive strain or sudden shock of vulcanized rubber, having embedded therein flexible pieces or strips of metal, preferably arranged in the form of a trussing, consisting of longitudinal stays or strips and a winding of wire. The stays and the strands of wire are spaced apart from each other, so that the rubber, when vulcanized, will fill up the meshes and embed or embody the trussing therein. When formed in this way, the sect-ion of the artificial limb will withstand any strain to which it may be ex posed andwill not breakto pieces undersuddeu shocks or jars, and will last for a great length of time, even under the roughest usage. The stump-section has in addition to the exterior wall or shell of hard rubber and the metallic trussing above described an inner wall of soft rubber, constituting an elastic lining or bearing-seat for the stump, rendering the same easy and comfortable to the wearer. In the vulcanizing process as applied to the stump-section the inner and outer walls or bodies of rubber become fused in the parts or socket plate is adjustable on the ankle-section for permitting the foot or other connected section of the artificial limb to be set at any desired angle with reference to the stump.

ankle-section fitting a seat in the foot-section and screw-threaded bolts or set-screws working through the foot-section and engaging screw-threaded holes in the said connectingplate. By this form of connection the ankle and foot sections when in use are practically integral or one, all lateral motion or any- .movement whateverof the one part with reference to the other being impossible. The toe-section of the foot is pivotally connected or jointed to the body of thefoot and held in its normal position by a strong elastic band or strip in a well-known standard Way. The rigid connection between the ankle and the foot sections in co-operation with the pivoted toesection of the foot constitutes an important improvement, the co-operation of the said parts being materially different than Where an ankle-joint is employed The stiff ankle gives a different action, the weight being thrown at once on the ball of the foot, while in the former constructions employingthe ankle-joint the movement was first at the ankle before it was thrown on the toe or ball of the foot. WVith the ankle-joint construction the movement and strain was so great that it would quickly Wear out the shoe or the boot and also produce so much lost motion in the parts that the foot-section would get out of position or shape, imperiling the safety of the wearer. IVith the rigid connection between the ankle and foot sections the parts will always retain their proper relative positions and the wear or tear on the boot or shoe will be scarcely greater than in the case of a natural foot. The foot-section is cushioned at the heel by a body of felt or other elastic material. The ankle-sectionhas fixed in the top of the same a hollow spring holder or tube, which telescopes within a tube seat or socket projecting from the stump-section and formed of the same material, and within the tube is placed a coiled spring for yieldingly sustaining the weight. In order to avoid any jar or shock when the tubeseatand tube telescope to th ir limit, the tubeseat is provided at its upper end with a cushion of felt, rubber, or other yielding elastic material. To further avoid noise and to take up lost motion from the play of the parts, the tubeseat may be provided with a bushing of soft rubber.

My improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, like letters referring to like parts throughout- Figure 1' is a side elevation of an artificial leg embodying my invention shown in its working position. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the artificial leg detached from the stump. Figs. and 4 are details, in plan and vertical section, showing the stump-socket plate. Fig. 5 is a section on the lineX X of Fig. 2. Fig. 0 is a plan of a part of the foot-section, and Fig. 7 is a bottom plan View of the connecting-plate detached.

A B C I) represent the stump-section of the artificial leg, of which parts A is the exterior wallor shell composed of hard rubber; l the inner wall or lining composed of soft rubber, and O .D the metallic trussing composed of the stays O and the wire D, the said trussing being secured, as before stated, he

tween the two bodies of rubber, by the union of the rubberthrough the meshes of the trussing under the vulcanizing process. The metallic strips constituting the stays are preferably made of aluminum on account of its lightness; but any other flexible metal might be employed.

a is the tube-socket, formed integral with the lower end of the outer wall of the stumpsection, and l) the cushion of felt or other elastic substance, fixed to the upper end of the same. The stumpsection is cut away or formed with openings, as shown at a, to atford ventilation.

E is the ankle-section, which is formed of vulcanized rubber, either with or without metallic trussing, as shown in the stump-section. In the drawings, the ankle-section is represented as formed of a single wall of hard rubher, without the metallic trussing. Owing to the shape and size of the ankle-section, the walls may be of greater thickness than in the case of the stump-section, and the metallic trussing is not necessary. It may of course be used, and, if so, the ankle-section would have the metallic strips and the winding of wire embedded in the wall of the rubber, as is shown in the stump-section.

F F is the stump-socket plate, of which F is the body or flat portion fitting the top of the ankle'section and F are the verticallyextended parts or prongs for connection with the side straps. Thebody of the socket-plate has the central hole f for passing the springholder or socket-tube, and is provided with the slots f for permitting the plate to be adjusted about the socket.

G are the set-screws or screw-threaded bolts, working through the slots f in the socketplate and engaging with nuts 0, embedded in the ankle-sections for securing the socketplate in whatever position it may be set. For further security the socket-plate may have a downturned lip or llange g, through which and into the ankle-section may be placed a set'screw g.

H is the spring-holder or socket-tube embedded in the top of the ankle-section passing through the central hole of the socketplate and having its projecting end working inside the tube-socket a on the stump-section.

I1 is the coiled spring seated within the tube H.

K is the thigh leather and lacing, and L and L are respectively the upper and lower sets of side straps or joint-irons pivotally connected together and secured one set to the thigh-leather and the other to the prongs of the socket-plate. The prongs and lower set of strap-irons overlap and may be riveted together at any point. Hence the strap-irons need not be made to an exact predetermined length, the necessary adjustment to an exact fit is readily cfl'ccted, and much time and expense is saved. This is of greatimportance in the business. The socket-plate and the strapirons can be made and kept in stock, and the proper fitti n g be m ade at once withontthedelay and expense which would otherwise be necessary. This construction is important for another reasonviz., that itenables the use of different metals to r thestrap-irons andthe stu m psocket with its prongs. This is absolutely necessary, in order to make the parts so that they will stand the work and be sufficiently light on the wearer. The strap-ironsmust be of hard metal or they will give out at their bearings, and should be of metal having considerable elasticity or spring. On the other hand, the socket-plate and its prongs must be of soft metal, such as malleable-iron, otherwise the prongs would break at their junction with the body of the plate. Experience has proven that side straps made of steel or other hard metal, as they must be, will, when directly connected to the socket-plate, in a short time break at the point of junction with the socketplate. Vith my construction the parts will last indefinitely.

M l\.[' are respectively the body and the toe portion of the foot-section pivotally connected together or jointed, as shown at m.

N is the elastic strip united to the body of the foot and the toe-section to hold the latter in its normal position.

I P is the metallic connecting-plate for rigidly uniting the ankle and foot sections. This plate is fixed to the anklc-section by bolts and nuts, as shown at p, the bolts working through holes in the expanded or flanged part P of the plate. The raised portion Pof the ITO plate fits a countersunk seat 19' in the top of the foot-section, and when the two sections have been placed in position they are secured together by the set-screws or screw-threaded bolts Q, working through the foot-section and engaging with screw-threaded holes in the raised part of the connectingplate. This connection unites the ankle and foot sections firmly together, making them practically as rigid as if they were one continuous body.

The toe-joint is slightly in advance of the ball of the foot. The fact that the heel and ankle sections are rigidly connected together and that the toe-joint is located forward of the middle of the foot, as just stated, gives an action which renders this artificial leg more serviceable. It gives a better base of support and a foot movement which is almost as easy as that of the natural foot.

R is the heel-piece, of felt or other elastic material, fitting a corresponding seat in the foot-section and secured therein byglue or in any other suitable way.

'lhe tube-socket a may have asoft-rubber bushing, as shown at a", to prevent noise from the play of the telescoping parts. In virtue of the fact that the socket plate is adjustable about the socket or around the axis of the ankle-section, the foot may be set at at any desired angle to the stump-section, so as to take the position of the natural foot.

, lVith many persons, as is well known, the

toes turn in, and with others the toes turn out. WVith my construction'I can set the artificial foot to do the same.

- The construction, operation, and advantages of my invention have now been fully set forth.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let- 3. In an artificial limb, a stump-socket having an exterior wall-or shell of hard rubber, an inner wall or lining of soft rubber, and flexible pieces of metal located between the inner and outer walls and embedded by the vulcanizing of the two bodies of rubber.

4. In an artificial limb, a stump-socket constructed with an outer Wall or shell of hard rubber, an inner wall or lining of soft rubber, and a flexible metallic trussing located between the said inner and outer walls, consisting of longitudinal metallic strips or stays and a winding of wire, the said strips and strands of Wire being spaced apart to permit the two bodies of rubber to fuse together between said openings, when vulcanized, embedding the trussing therein, substantially as described.-

5. In an artificial leg, the combination, with the stump-socket and the ankle-section, of the stump-socket plate adjustable on the anklesection, and securing devices for fixing the plate in'a-ny position in which it may be set.

6. In an artificial leg, the combination, with the separable foot and ankle sections, of the metallic connecting-plate for rigidly uniting the two sections, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the foot-section provided with the plate-seat, of the ankle-section the connectingplate secured to the anklesection and fitting the seat in the foot-section, and screw-threaded bolts working through the foot-section and engaging screw-threaded holes in said plate.

8. In an artificial leg, the combination, with the stump and ankle sections, of the stumpsocket plate provided with the vertical prongs and the sets of side straps or joint-irons, the lower members of which overlap the said prongs and may be secured thereto in any desired position, the said prongs and side straps being connected below the the kneejoiut, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ULYSSES TANNER.

Witnesses: j

J AS. F. WILLIAMsoN, A. H. QPSAHL. 

